FUSE Festival Celebrates Cultural Diversity at University Sains Malaysia (USM)
On June 12, 2024, the FUSE Festival returned to USM, bringing with it a multicultural and lively atmosphere. A grand showcase of the diverse traditions and nationalities represented within the university’s exchange student community, this annual event attracts between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors. The festival features traditional performances and food booths.
Ms. Sana Yaseen, staff member at the Medical Analysis Department, Faculty of Applied Sciences at Tishk International University (TIU), is a member of the USM International Exco Community, which is affiliated with the International Mobility and Collaboration Centre (IMCC). She had the opportunity to participate in this year’s festival with her fellow Kurdish postgraduate students, as well as her Iraqi and Egyptian colleagues. They displayed a rich wall hanging of Kurdish culture at their booth, which was a lively hub of cultural exchange.
Visitors to their booth were presented with traditional Kurdish attire, which introduced a vibrant aesthetic to the event. They proudly displayed their national flag, shared insights into the Kurdish language, and displayed maps of the vast Kurdistan and Iraqi-Kurdistan region. It was a wonderful opportunity to promote a more profound understanding and appreciation of our traditions and to educate others about the Kurdish culture.
A cornerstone event at USM, the FUSE Festival is dedicated to celebrating the cultural diversity that exchange students from around the world bring. The participants are from a variety of European countries, the United States, and a variety of countries in Asia and the Middle East. This annual event offers students the opportunity to share their distinctive traditions, thereby cultivating a sense of unity and mutual respect. The significance of such events in the establishment of a cohesive and inclusive university community was emphasised by the lively exchange of cultural experiences and the enthusiastic response from attendees.
Ms. Sanaa Yaseen, a master’s student at USM, is currently in the final weeks of her second semester of her MSc Molecular Medicine programme. She was thrilled to have the chance to share her nation’s heritage with so many other cultures in a warm and welcoming environment. This experience has been enormously rewarding for her as a fellow staff member from TIU Bright, further enriching her time at USM and emphasising the significance of cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Keywords: University Students, Medical Education, Medical Students, Students, Education, Higher Education, Collaboration, Participation
